The first annual Chautauqua Regional Genealogical Conference was held at the Fluvanna Community Church, hosted by the Fenton History Center. This conference was sponsored in part by Rodgers Land Surveying, JRSC Digital, and the Community Foundation.

Over the rise of sunny weather, forecasting the early days of spring, dozens of people from around the region, also a few from Erie, Pa., Buffalo, and Olean, were in attendance for this educational event.

“We have gotten awesome feedback so far, everyone is just so thrilled,” said a member of the Fenton History Center Board of Trustees Cindy Rogers. The conference was organized by Rogers, Andrew Kolstee and Janet Wahlberg. Kolstee and Wahlberg are volunteers at the Fenton.

Because of the warm reception and interest, the Fenton is pondering over the prospect of hosting another event in the fall.

Various historical books and items for sale at the Genealogical Conference. Photo by Daryl Simons Jr.

There were 16 classes in total, taught by 12 different instructors. The classes ranged from identifying and caring for family photos; introduction and use of DNA results in research; military records; genealogy for beginners; how to use Ancestry.com; “Breaking Old World;” Swedish, Irish, and Scottish genealogy; German research; resources at the Fenton; newspapers; Daughters of the American Revolution research; and local government records at New York state.

The 47 or so attendees were allowed to pick whichever classes that they saw fit. Each classroom was provided by the Fluvanna Community Church, projectors, screens or televisions for the presentations.

Darcy Crickard, an attendee from Buffalo, said that she took a few classes.

“All the instructors were amazing. All had different pieces of information that you didn’t know. Taught me a lot of the lesser known records that you don’t normally look at in genealogy research, specifically what you need or don’t need,” Crickard said.

She added that her interest in genealogy started over 20 years ago. “A gentleman from West Virginia emailed me about my last name. And he wanted to know if we were related.

When I began researching our family tree, that’s when my hobby or obsession began… And it turned out that we weren’t even related.”

Representatives from other local organizations also were in attendance. Olean Public Library, Prendergast Library, Chautauqua County Genealogical Society, and the Fluvanna Community Historical Society provided various tools and information pertaining to genealogical endeavors.

“The Fenton did a wonderful job with this event,” said Mary Turney, a member of the Fluvanna Community Historical Society.

For more information contact The History Fenton at 664-6256, or email at information@fentonhistorycenter.org.